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Mantee man arrested in an alleged kidnapping, assault

by admin • September 13, 2013 • Comments Off on Mantee man arrested in an alleged kidnapping, assault

From Press, Staff Reports

A Mantee man is accused of holding his neighbor against his will and shooting at him when he fled from the man’s house.

Webster County deputies responded to 659 Highway 46 in Mantee about 3:30 p.m. Sept. 5 for a reported aggravated assault and kidnapping. They swarmed on the home of Mike Jennings, where he had supposedly just made an attempt on the life of his neighbor.

Sheriff Tim Mitchell and Justice Court affidavits identified the neighbor as George Graham. Mitchell said Jennings had held him at gunpoint.

Graham was able to get away, according to Mitchell. As Graham was driving away, Mitchell said Jennings shot at his SUV with a 12-gauge shotgun. The sheriff said a slug went through the passenger door but Graham was not hit.

Jennings, 62, was taken into custody without further incident. He was charged with kidnapping and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and is being held in the Webster County jail on a $250,000 bond. He has an initial court hearing set for Wednesday.

Felony Drug,

DUI Arrests

The Webster County Sheriff’s Department was busy into the weekend, when deputies, along with the department’s K-9 unit, ran a safety checkpoint at Clarkson and Mantee roads Friday night and early Saturday morning. Deputies made two felony arrests from the checkpoint.

Norman Thomas James, 50, came through the checkpoint driving a white Plymouth SUV. He was discovered carrying more than 7 grams of crystal meth, or “ice,” in the vehicle, according to a release from the sheriff’s office.

The drugs were discovered hidden behind the glove compartment of the vehicle, authorities said. James, a prior drug offender who is still on parole with the Mississippi Department of Corrections, was placed under arrest for possession of crystal meth. His bond was set at $25,000 but he is also being held on an MDOC warrant.

Mitchell said the 7 grams of crystal meth, valued at between $700 and $1,000, was a huge hit on the drug community. He stated that many more arrests like this one are to come.

Deputies also discovered a suspected drunk driver at the checkpoint. Andrew Ray Black, 23, of the Weir community was charged with a DUI-3rd, careless driving and driving without a license. DUI-3rd being a felony charge, Black was set a bond of $2,000.

“Sheriff Mitchell wants to remind everyone to please be safe on the roads going to and from the games this football season,” the WCSD release stated. “We usually see a spike in drunk drivers this time of year due to the after-game parties.”

Home Burglary

Being Probed

The Webster County Sheriff’s Department is seeking a suspect or suspects in a burglary that occurred Aug. 31.

According to a WCSD report, David Murphy of 1758 Old Walthall Road contacted the sheriff’s office that evening to report that his home had been burglarized. Responding to the call was Sheriff’s Deputy Justin Brown.

The items that Murphy reported stolen, according to the report, were a Remington model 1100 12-gauge shotgun, a Browning Sportsman 12-gauge shotgun, a Remington 22-caliber Speedmaster rifle, a Smith & Wesson .357 revolver (blue w/wood grip), two Dell laptop computers, a television, a rechargeable flashlight and a radio.

At this time there are no suspects and the investigation is ongoing. Anyone who has any information regarding the crime is asked to contact the sheriff’s department at 258-7701.

Sober

Sober

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